Wonderfully funny . . . a dizzy, eye-watering treat . . . Lewycka is somewhere between Hilary Mantel in her satirical mode and Sue Townsend * Independent *
Thank heavens for Marina Lewycka whose Various Pets Alive and Dead me laugh at least once in every chapter . . . The warmth of its tone, its zest, its blend of quirky, humane comedy and intellectual seriousness make this a novel to treasure * New Statesman *
Not many authors could successfully mix lentils, bra-burning and free love with city traders, quantitative analysts and the mathematical calculations that supposedly make naked short selling, CDOs and subprime mortgages infallible. But Marina Lewycka is an exception . . . Never has reading about something serious been quite so much fun * Economist *
Lewycka treats her characters with real affection and combines the big themes and acutely-observed details with characteristic lightness of touch * Daily Mail *
An astute and hilarious take on modern values * Stylist *
Lewycka displays a similar mix of astringent humour and worldly humanism in her forth novel as she did in her acclaimed debut . . . a funny, farcical novel * Metro *
[Lewycka is] a warm and humane writer . . . most affecting * Sunday Telegraph *
An affectionate picture of a free-thinking, beatnik lifestyle now regarded as batty, but which was underpinned by a real desire to change the world. We could all do with a bit more of that * The Herald *
Lewycka is a warm and humane writer * Guardian *
Marina Lewycka's latest novel is wonderfully funny with moments of pure farce in the best tradition of social satire . . . this inventive and witty book fizzes along from beginning to end * Daily Express *
Lewycka is not only witty but astute . . . it is a charming, beautifully observed novel, and those who label Lewycka a merely whimsical or quirky comic writer woefully underestimate her abilities * Independent on Sunday *
